By Ken Levy Teton Valley News
Idaho Wildlife Services confirmed Aug. 19 that 176 sheep were killed as a result of a wolf attack near the Palisades Range recently.
Todd Grimm, director of the Wildlife Services Program, said his office confirmed the depredation on Aug. 18. Many of the animals died from suffocation, since some apparently fell in front of the rest, resulting in a large pile-up.
“This was a rather unique situation,” said Grimm. “Most of the time they don’t pile up like this, but the wolves got them running.”
Grimm said the wolves “probably wouldn’t have killed that many” if not for the pile-up. He said the phenomenon is more often seen with black bear or mountain lion attacks.
The largest depredation in one night to date was 105 animals, about 10 years ago, said Grimm.
Doug Petersen, district conservation officer for Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the bulk of the animals probably died from suffocation.
“The wolves didn’t kill every one of them,” Petersen said.
The animals belonged to the Siddoway Sheep Co. and were grazing in the area about six miles south of Victor, according to a release from Siddoway.
The attack, they said, occurred around 1 a.m.
Only one animal seems to have been partially eaten in the attack, according to the Siddoway release. Overall, 119 lambs and 57 ewes died.
“Our herds consist of 1,000 ewes and their lambs. The sheep are not fenced,” said Billie Siddoway, in an email interview. Her brother, J.C. Sid-doway, manages the ranch.
“They move every few days to a new pasture within a designated area. The sheep are herded and monitored by two full-time herders, four herding dogs and at least four guard dogs,” said Billie.
Wolves reportedly ate the hindquarters of one lamb.
“There are bite marks on many others, but no significant meat was taken from the other carcasses,” Billie said. “Two sheepherders witnessed the attack, but it was dark, and they couldn’t get an accurate count on the wolves. The herders saw two gray-colored wolves leaving the kill site.”
While the Pine Creek Pack is suspected of the attack, Grimm said, “We don’t have evidence to support that. We just know it was wolves.”
Grimm said there is already a “control action” in the area. Since July 3, 12 wolves have been lethally trapped, including nine pups. The goal is to take them all, he said.
Wildlife Services takes the animals under permit with IDFG, said Petersen.
“We expect that bears and other scavengers will soon locate the kill site,” said Billie Siddoway, who posted signs warning about the wolf kill at the Pole Canyon and Fourth of July trailheads.
But the U.S. Forest Service on Monday was taking those signs down and posting others closer to the kill site. USFS officials are advising people to stay out of the area.
Jay Pence, Teton Basin District ranger, said the sheep kill could attract a lot of people hoping to see predators coming to feed on the carcasses.
Ranchers and others are trying to deal with the situation, and visitors can hamper their activities.
“There are a lot more fun things to look at than dead sheep,” said Pence.
Billie Siddoway said the ranch has abandoned some of its grazing allotments to reduce the risk of conflicts, and doesn’t believe all wolves should be taken out.
She suggested identifying areas where wolves are not treated as big game, perhaps in a patchwork of areas that would still support ranching and allow coexistence.
The U.S. Forest Service allows grazing allotments on about half of Forest Service lands, or about 90 million acres in 34 states. Almost all of that land is in the west.
Jeff Siddoway, the president of the company, is an Idaho State Senator from Terreton, where the company has been running since 1886.